Honeycomb core panels with composite skins or face sheets on both sides of the core are widely used in industry, and in the aerospace industry in particular. They have a high strength-to-weight ratio and a high modulus for their weight, and can be shaped and attractively finished to provide many of the parts used in commercial airplane interiors, such as wall panels, stow bins, and lavatory and galley components.
Forming composite skinned honeycomb core panels into parts and components having bends has always been a difficult, time consuming, labor intensive and costly process. Usually the processes produce bends that have little strength and must be strengthened by application of supplemental strengthening plies. Various procedures for production of components and parts with a smooth, aesthetically attractive appearance and adequate strength have been developed and practiced in the past, but they are all excessively costly, multi-step processes that are tolerated only because of the need for light weight rigid components.
Thus, a need has long existed for a single-step process and apparatus for bending thermoplastic composite skinned honeycomb core sandwich panel into bends of any desired angle and bend radius. The bends would present an attractive appearance and would have sufficient strength to support the highest loads applied to interiors components in airplanes, plus a safety factor. The total cost of parts and components made using this process and apparatus would be less, and preferably much less, than the cost of such parts and components made using known processes and apparatus.